He is a fresh-faced and dimpled-cheek kid. His face, a cut of the Tupac mien. Wearing a Ray Ban sunglass, a stainless steel crucifix and his nimbly-muscled body cutely tattooed, he has swag and style a la hip hop stars. He is definitely one of them.
After watching a video of his performance at Club 11:45 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, you’d agree he has stage ability and going by his hit song, you can’t disprove the fact that he’s a guy with street credibility. “Dami Duro”, his second single, is a street anthem, a top selection in clubs and parties. He is the new kid on the block, this rave of the moment is called Davido.
After watching a video of his performance at Club 11:45 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, you’d agree he has stage ability and going by his hit song, you can’t disprove the fact that he’s a guy with street credibility. “Dami Duro”, his second single, is a street anthem, a top selection in clubs and parties. He is the new kid on the block, this rave of the moment is called Davido.
His profile received a boost on April 4 at Club Vegas, Ikeja, Lagos, when he was unveiled as the new face of MTN Pulse, an endorsement believed to worth about N10m.
From David to Davido: daring to be different
In the beginning, when the Nigerian hip hop phenomenon was still green, new discoveries were few and far between. However, since 2003, the coming of age of the “Naija” pop culture has been witnessing an explosion of teen sensations - Dagrin, Mo’Cheddah, Kel, Wizkid, Olamide, Skales – they now come at regular intervals. The new entrant, Davido - real name David Adedeji Adeleke - brings yet a refreshing breath of zest and creativity to the musical maelstrom of naija hip hop. This current scene stealer, by his age, 19, and by his art, is an embodiment of the Generation Next.
Unlike other wunderkind, he is trailed by criticisms that challenge his claim to limelight. Some critics are of the opinion he is still a newbie and perhaps too early to be declared a success. Afterall, he has just three singles, not even an album yet. His popularity, skeptics are quick to assert, is a product of internet buzz. The strongest argument against him: Davido is a guy from the other side of the lane. A silver spoon kid.
He makes no pretense about his privileged background. Rather, he capitalized on it to create his brand. He coined his bragging right, Omo Baba Olowo (son of a rich man) which has become his signature, and the tweet that accompanied the photo he took with his father on the latter’s 55th birthday on March 6. He also wears it on his chest as a tattoo. It is the major refrain of his hit track.
Given his upper-crust background, his making out as a musician appears to be a step out of turn and a big irony. His father, Deji Adeleke, a business mogul with interests in banking, steel, transportation, power and energy sectors, is also the founder and Pro-Chancellor of the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State. As nephew of a former Osun State Governor, Senator (Alhaji) Isiaka Adeleke, the teen singer is a branch of a very prestigious family tree. Imagine a son of Richard Branson or Bill Gate opting to make a living as a hip hop act after dropping out of a university!
As the last child in a family of five (and the baby of the family) losing his mother at a tender age could well have exposed him to overprotection and perhaps derailed him from following his father’s footsteps. It’s a theory; his father’s reaction to his chosen path gives a better insight. “I moved to America just for a year for university and one Christmas I came back and I was like I am not going back”, Davido recounts in an interview, “My dad was like ‘are you nuts?’ You better go back to school. My dad and I were just arguing and fighting.” A proviso to go back to school solved the impasse between father and son. According to him, he is currently a final year undergraduate of Business Administration at the Babcock University.
Lest you think wrongly of his motivation, this young vedette says: “People look at me like this guy’s dad is rich…like I don’t have to do what I’m doing but it’s not about whose money but your money; it’s about my dream; it’s about doing my own thing.”
On a musical journey
Though he is just one year old as a professional musician, he has a six year credential as a jack of music. “I started producing when I was 13 [but] I began from being a studio rat to recording songs; [first] at Enough Records Studio at Ikota Shopping complex, then [at] other places.”
Once a saxophonist; now a keyboardist, his resolution to pursue music was reinforced by the success of his first single, “Back When”, which was recorded [in London] and released to critical acclaims.
Like many other Nigerians, such as D’Banj, Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage and Weird MC, who once sojourned in the UK, but returned home to make waves, Davido took a good cue. “Some of my friends advised me to come back, that they were making money and that the music industry in Nigeria is easier to penetrate”. Since debuting on the local scene on Music Meets Runway, his career has been on an upward swing.
Now, the brass tack, “Dami Duro”: It is the kind of song that have you punching the replay button over and again. When you remove the schlock and silliness that encrust the everyday naija song, the song is smart, it’s a piece of art and it has a heart.
This huge hit however is not a product of a sweaty studio session. “I recorded Dami Duro…just freestyle,” he affirms, “The first verse was gibberish but it sounded so sweet, and I was like I might as well leave it now. And I did the second part and my dad even gave me a line to put in it”.
The secret of his hit-making formula is that he gets his song from “the streets.” Said he: “Even the ‘Dami Duro’ song, I got the inspiration from one of my guys on the street…most of my songs all have Yoruba in it, I want to confuse them.”
From a “studio rat” to a recording artist, this Atlanta, Georgia-born, but Lagos-bred teenager is fast growing into a big enchilada. Within the short period he has been on the scene, he has built relationship with numerous artistes. Featuring in or producing other’s songs, Davido already has a high-profile collabo with a list of notable top artistes which includes Shank, Tiwa Savage, Naeto C, Lynxx, Sauce Kid, Mo’Cheddah and Dotstar, a popular UK artiste.
Yet a lot of people know more about his songs than the singer. A documentary entitled Who Is Davido?’’ which catalogues his lifestyle, shows, studio sessions, commitment and dedication to music, offers a world of information about him. The great revelation being that, he is an extraordinary producer.
Therein lies his cutting edge: “Being my own producer helps a lot because I can produce exactly what I want” he explains “Even if I’m not the producer, I can tell a producer exactly what I want but I will take it to my studio, rearrange the whole thing and make some changes,” he avows.
All said and done, he’s having a war chest of money (his father’s) not the big factor that helped make his career bigger? He thinks otherwise. “I don’t believe that; if I go on that route, they will suck me out because they will think that there’s a lot [money to grab].”
He makes no bone about telling you that his meteoric rise is due in part to the help of some big guns in the music industry. “People inside the industry helped me -Wiz, Wande, Don Jazzy especially. I didn’t just come out, I went to see everybody and I told them look this is what I am planning to do. They told me their own ideas and told me how I should do it and stuff. There’s a lot of hate in the industry but there are those few that show love,” he affirms.
Journey to the future
He is a piece of the future, the multi-talented singer, songwriter and producer truly is. He has taken a step to remain above his peers. His joker: “HKN is my record label and it’s family-owned.” His family –father, brother, sister- investing in his future, he is going to be a long-travelled shooting star.
Shouldn’t he be having jitters about competition? He tells you, “no competition as such.” What about Wizkid? “I see him as a colleague, maybe if I didn’t know him personally; but I do. We are even planning some things together,” he assures.
Of his relationship with his dad, he says: “It’s very good. I go over to see him from time to time.” But he still misses his mum because “I’m sure if she was here, she will be rocking all the songs.”
Asked to describe himself, he said: Different. “If I’m in a room with stars that are bigger than I am, I will stand out. I don’t care, I could jump in the crowd, my facial expressions are different, and my shows are different.”
Though he avows that he’s “not really working on an album but on songs and hits”, he definitely has an offering coming later in the year. So his fans can wait for him to “unleash the Dragon[ or Davido].
To the cynics who still think he is a fluke or will end up a fizzler, he has his reply in his hit song: Ema Damiduro - Can’t nobody hold me down!
In the beginning, when the Nigerian hip hop phenomenon was still green, new discoveries were few and far between. However, since 2003, the coming of age of the “Naija” pop culture has been witnessing an explosion of teen sensations - Dagrin, Mo’Cheddah, Kel, Wizkid, Olamide, Skales – they now come at regular intervals. The new entrant, Davido - real name David Adedeji Adeleke - brings yet a refreshing breath of zest and creativity to the musical maelstrom of naija hip hop. This current scene stealer, by his age, 19, and by his art, is an embodiment of the Generation Next.
Unlike other wunderkind, he is trailed by criticisms that challenge his claim to limelight. Some critics are of the opinion he is still a newbie and perhaps too early to be declared a success. Afterall, he has just three singles, not even an album yet. His popularity, skeptics are quick to assert, is a product of internet buzz. The strongest argument against him: Davido is a guy from the other side of the lane. A silver spoon kid.
He makes no pretense about his privileged background. Rather, he capitalized on it to create his brand. He coined his bragging right, Omo Baba Olowo (son of a rich man) which has become his signature, and the tweet that accompanied the photo he took with his father on the latter’s 55th birthday on March 6. He also wears it on his chest as a tattoo. It is the major refrain of his hit track.
Given his upper-crust background, his making out as a musician appears to be a step out of turn and a big irony. His father, Deji Adeleke, a business mogul with interests in banking, steel, transportation, power and energy sectors, is also the founder and Pro-Chancellor of the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State. As nephew of a former Osun State Governor, Senator (Alhaji) Isiaka Adeleke, the teen singer is a branch of a very prestigious family tree. Imagine a son of Richard Branson or Bill Gate opting to make a living as a hip hop act after dropping out of a university!
As the last child in a family of five (and the baby of the family) losing his mother at a tender age could well have exposed him to overprotection and perhaps derailed him from following his father’s footsteps. It’s a theory; his father’s reaction to his chosen path gives a better insight. “I moved to America just for a year for university and one Christmas I came back and I was like I am not going back”, Davido recounts in an interview, “My dad was like ‘are you nuts?’ You better go back to school. My dad and I were just arguing and fighting.” A proviso to go back to school solved the impasse between father and son. According to him, he is currently a final year undergraduate of Business Administration at the Babcock University.
Lest you think wrongly of his motivation, this young vedette says: “People look at me like this guy’s dad is rich…like I don’t have to do what I’m doing but it’s not about whose money but your money; it’s about my dream; it’s about doing my own thing.”
On a musical journey
Though he is just one year old as a professional musician, he has a six year credential as a jack of music. “I started producing when I was 13 [but] I began from being a studio rat to recording songs; [first] at Enough Records Studio at Ikota Shopping complex, then [at] other places.”
Once a saxophonist; now a keyboardist, his resolution to pursue music was reinforced by the success of his first single, “Back When”, which was recorded [in London] and released to critical acclaims.
Like many other Nigerians, such as D’Banj, Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage and Weird MC, who once sojourned in the UK, but returned home to make waves, Davido took a good cue. “Some of my friends advised me to come back, that they were making money and that the music industry in Nigeria is easier to penetrate”. Since debuting on the local scene on Music Meets Runway, his career has been on an upward swing.
Now, the brass tack, “Dami Duro”: It is the kind of song that have you punching the replay button over and again. When you remove the schlock and silliness that encrust the everyday naija song, the song is smart, it’s a piece of art and it has a heart.
This huge hit however is not a product of a sweaty studio session. “I recorded Dami Duro…just freestyle,” he affirms, “The first verse was gibberish but it sounded so sweet, and I was like I might as well leave it now. And I did the second part and my dad even gave me a line to put in it”.
The secret of his hit-making formula is that he gets his song from “the streets.” Said he: “Even the ‘Dami Duro’ song, I got the inspiration from one of my guys on the street…most of my songs all have Yoruba in it, I want to confuse them.”
From a “studio rat” to a recording artist, this Atlanta, Georgia-born, but Lagos-bred teenager is fast growing into a big enchilada. Within the short period he has been on the scene, he has built relationship with numerous artistes. Featuring in or producing other’s songs, Davido already has a high-profile collabo with a list of notable top artistes which includes Shank, Tiwa Savage, Naeto C, Lynxx, Sauce Kid, Mo’Cheddah and Dotstar, a popular UK artiste.
Yet a lot of people know more about his songs than the singer. A documentary entitled Who Is Davido?’’ which catalogues his lifestyle, shows, studio sessions, commitment and dedication to music, offers a world of information about him. The great revelation being that, he is an extraordinary producer.
Therein lies his cutting edge: “Being my own producer helps a lot because I can produce exactly what I want” he explains “Even if I’m not the producer, I can tell a producer exactly what I want but I will take it to my studio, rearrange the whole thing and make some changes,” he avows.
All said and done, he’s having a war chest of money (his father’s) not the big factor that helped make his career bigger? He thinks otherwise. “I don’t believe that; if I go on that route, they will suck me out because they will think that there’s a lot [money to grab].”
He makes no bone about telling you that his meteoric rise is due in part to the help of some big guns in the music industry. “People inside the industry helped me -Wiz, Wande, Don Jazzy especially. I didn’t just come out, I went to see everybody and I told them look this is what I am planning to do. They told me their own ideas and told me how I should do it and stuff. There’s a lot of hate in the industry but there are those few that show love,” he affirms.
Journey to the future
He is a piece of the future, the multi-talented singer, songwriter and producer truly is. He has taken a step to remain above his peers. His joker: “HKN is my record label and it’s family-owned.” His family –father, brother, sister- investing in his future, he is going to be a long-travelled shooting star.
Shouldn’t he be having jitters about competition? He tells you, “no competition as such.” What about Wizkid? “I see him as a colleague, maybe if I didn’t know him personally; but I do. We are even planning some things together,” he assures.
Of his relationship with his dad, he says: “It’s very good. I go over to see him from time to time.” But he still misses his mum because “I’m sure if she was here, she will be rocking all the songs.”
Asked to describe himself, he said: Different. “If I’m in a room with stars that are bigger than I am, I will stand out. I don’t care, I could jump in the crowd, my facial expressions are different, and my shows are different.”
Though he avows that he’s “not really working on an album but on songs and hits”, he definitely has an offering coming later in the year. So his fans can wait for him to “unleash the Dragon[ or Davido].
To the cynics who still think he is a fluke or will end up a fizzler, he has his reply in his hit song: Ema Damiduro - Can’t nobody hold me down!
The man in the mirror
Being a hip hop star involves playing the part either by choice or by circumstance; the part of a music star that entails living fast on blings and binge.
Earlier in February, Davido played the first act when he was caught in a scandal that brewed when he travelled to Ghana to perform at the Miss ISA 2012 beauty pageant organized by the International Students Association of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. His bedroom affair became a public affair, when his star-struck lover, an 18-year-old undergraduate Sonia Jumbo, a Port Harcourt-based Nigerian studying in Ghana, leaked the risqué photos of the prelude of their trysts on Twitter. The photos showed the lady fondling, kissing and licking his tattoo, while Davido played possum, fast asleep. The sequel of his Ghana gallivanting was a rumour of a love child, which he has since been refuting with vehemence.
He has also been doing the celebrity big boy drama in episodes. He allegedly bought a N2m necklace while in Malaysia; he followed it up with his acquisition of a Range Rover Sport. Now, at 19, he is a millionaire having hit the MTN jackpot. He could only continue the acts.
Being a hip hop star involves playing the part either by choice or by circumstance; the part of a music star that entails living fast on blings and binge.
Earlier in February, Davido played the first act when he was caught in a scandal that brewed when he travelled to Ghana to perform at the Miss ISA 2012 beauty pageant organized by the International Students Association of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. His bedroom affair became a public affair, when his star-struck lover, an 18-year-old undergraduate Sonia Jumbo, a Port Harcourt-based Nigerian studying in Ghana, leaked the risqué photos of the prelude of their trysts on Twitter. The photos showed the lady fondling, kissing and licking his tattoo, while Davido played possum, fast asleep. The sequel of his Ghana gallivanting was a rumour of a love child, which he has since been refuting with vehemence.
He has also been doing the celebrity big boy drama in episodes. He allegedly bought a N2m necklace while in Malaysia; he followed it up with his acquisition of a Range Rover Sport. Now, at 19, he is a millionaire having hit the MTN jackpot. He could only continue the acts.
No comments:
Post a Comment